Doorways to Everywhere (Tourist Trap Book 2)

Chapter 15

Back on the ship Zeke found the conditions much more to his liking. He and Sadie had each been afforded individual little apartments and their hosts had done their best to make them amenable. They were apparently still a bit confused as to just what constituted the "comforts of home" for Earthlings as Zeke had discovered a large smelly dead fish tacked to his wall by its tail. A flounder, if he wasn't mistaken. It seemed to be a misguided attempt at adding some decoration to the place. He had quickly disposed of it but the fish smell lingered on.

Nonetheless he was happy to have a comfortable bed to stretch out on along with a reading lamp and a pile of books the Hooblerians had captured from Earth. He had gotten a few pages into "For Whom the Bell Tolls" when he heard a soft tapping on his door.

Before he could reply his door slid open with a whoosh and Sadie strolled in. "Mind if I come in?" she asked, apparently as an afterthought.

"Sure," Zeke said as he set the book aside and sat up in his bed. "What's up?"

"Nothing much, I was just getting kind of bored sitting in my room by myself. I thought I'd mosey on over and bother you for awhile." She took a seat on the mattress next to him. Suddenly she crinkled her nose in disgust. "What is that smell? It smells like an old dirty hooker. Have you been keeping another woman in here?"

Zeke wasn't quite sure how she would know what an old dirty hooker smelled like, but he dismissed the notion from his mind. "You know those crazy aliens. What, didn't they hang a fish up in your room, too?"

"Hardly," she rolled her eyes. "I was lucky enough to get a giant stuffed gorilla that took up half the room. I couldn't even get from the door to my bed without squeezing past it."

"Well, I guess it's the thought that counts," Zeke said softly.

"You know what I'm thinking?" Sadie asked. "Space travel is really freaking boring! We've barely been back on board this ship and already I'm dying to get off!"

"If it makes you feel better I heard Nulfar say this leg shouldn't take very long. He said the next planet we're visiting is in the same solar system as the last one."

"That's all well and good, but we still need to find something we can do to pass the time."

"There are lots of books here," Zeke offered helpfully.

"I was thinking we could maybe do something a little more fun," she said as she placed a hand on his knee.

Zeke gulped and looked at her nervously. She was staring back into his eyes with a sultry look on her face. He took a deep breath and began to lean in slowly.

Suddenly the door flew open with another loud whooshing sound and Nulfar came marching in. "Greetings, my beautiful Earth specimens. We are rapidly approaching the planet Ingleblott, otherwise known as our next destination. I thought you might enjoy viewing it from the port."

"Oh, um, sure, I guess," Zeke stuttered as he pulled his head back. "So what's the deal with this place?"

"Honestly we do not know much about it other than that we have picked up life signals from its surface," Nulfar replied cheerfully. "Hurry! We will be landing in a matter of hours!"

There was a loud thumping sound and then the whole ship shook so hard that Zeke lost his balance and fell over.

"Oh, looks like we've landed already," Nulfar said cheerfully.